$2,200 IPO Master | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

08-01-2025 19:35 UTC+2

Santamaria Eating Into Zhugralin's Chip Lead

Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Damir Zhugralin raised the button to 1,000,000 and Gerard Carbo Santamaria called in the big blind.

Santamaria check-called 525,000 on the 4♣A♣9♦ flop and then checked to showdown on the 5♥8♠ runout, where he showed J♥9♠ for a pair of nines to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	28,500,000 1,500,000	1,500,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	19,500,000 4,500,000	4,500,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	16,500,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	9,000,000 4,000,000	4,000,000

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Gerard Carbo Santamaria

08-01-2025 19:45 UTC+2

Sanli Bets Out Zheng

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Mahmut Sanli raised the button to 1,000,000 and Xiaosheng Zheng defended his big blind.

They saw a flop of 10♦9♥K♠, where Zheng check-called a bet of 550,000 from Sanli to see the K♥ fall on the turn.

Both checked it through to the 2♥ river and after Zheng checked, Sanli fired 1,200,000. Zheng thought for a while, but decided on a fold after around 30 seconds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	26,500,000 2,000,000	2,000,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	18,000,000 1,500,000	1,500,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	16,500,000
Mahmut Sanli	11,000,000 2,000,000	2,000,000

Tags: Mahmut Sanli Xiaosheng Zheng

08-01-2025 19:55 UTC+2

Family Pot Goes Zheng's Way

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Damir Zhugralin made it 1,000,000 from under the gun and everybody called, creating the first family pot of the final table.

All four checked the 2♥10♦3♦ flop to the J♥ turn, where it got to Zhugralin, who bet 3,500,000. Xiaosheng Zheng called on the button, and both Gerard Carbo Santamaria & Mahmut Sanli folded in the blinds.

The river brought a 4♣ and both quickly checked it down, with Zhugralin showing Q♥4♥ for a pair of fours. Zheng had that beat, though, as he showed Q♠J♦ for a pair of jacks to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	24,000,000 2,500,000	2,500,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	21,000,000 4,500,000	4,500,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	20,000,000 2,000,000	2,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	9,200,000 1,800,000	1,800,000

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Gerard Carbo Santamaria Mahmut Sanli Xiaosheng Zheng

08-01-2025 20:14 UTC+2

Damir Zhugralin Eliminated in 4th Place ($74,000)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Just like that. Damir Zhugralin is out in fourth!

Gerard Carbo Santamaria opened the button to 1,000,000 and Zhugralin called in the big blind.

The flop came 6♣2♥8♣, where Zhugralin check-called a bet of 925,000 from Santamaria.

A J♣ hit the turn and again Zhugralin checked, and again Santamaria bet, this time for 2,400,000. Zhugralin took some time and eventually called.

When the Q♠ hit the river, Zhugralin checked for a third time and Santamaria went for the trifecta of bets with a sizing of 5,700,000. Zhugralin burned through a time bank before he made it 16,500,000, leaving himself just 75,000 behind.

Santamaria looked to have the covering stack and around a minute later, he shoved. Zhugralin snap-folded, leaving himself with a speck in his stack.

In the next hand, Zhugralin had his chips in from the small blind and was up against Santamaria again, who was looking to finish the job.

Damir Zhugralin: A♣10♦ All in
Gerard Carbo Santamaria: Q♥Q♦

Zhugralin fell further behind on the Q♠5♣8♦ flop, and caught no miracle as the 3♣9♣ runout left him out in fourth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	44,000,000 24,000,000	24,000,000
Damir Zhugralin	Busted

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Gerard Carbo Santamaria

08-01-2025 20:17 UTC+2

Sanli Doubles Through Santamaria

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Gerard Carbo Santamaria in the small blind and Mahmut Sanli in the big blind had their chips in the middle preflop, with the latter at risk for his stack of around 7,200,000.

Mahmut Sanli: A♣10♠ All in
Gerard Carbo Santamaria: 9♣8♥

Sanli fell behind on the 7♦9♦7♥ flop, but made an emphatic comeback as the A♥A♦ runout gave him a full house and the double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	36,000,000 8,000,000	8,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	15,000,000 5,800,000	5,800,000

Tags: Gerard Carbo Santamaria Mahmut Sanli

08-01-2025 20:17 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Players are on a 10-minute break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	36,700,000 700,000	700,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	24,700,000 3,700,000	3,700,000
Mahmut Sanli	12,700,000 2,300,000	2,300,000

Level: 36

Blinds: 300,000/600,000

Ante: 600,000

08-01-2025 20:33 UTC+2

Zheng Turns a Straight

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Kai Cocklin

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Gerard Carbo Santamaria made it 1,200,000 from the button and Xiaosheng Zheng called in the big blind.

On the 9♣8♦7♣ flop. Zheng check-called a bet of 1,000,000 from Santamaria to the 10♣ turn, where both checked.

The 3♥ filled out the board and again both checked, then Zheng showed Q♥6♣ for a straight to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	32,000,000 4,700,000	4,700,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	29,000,000 4,300,000	4,300,000

Tags: Gerard Carbo Santamaria Xiaosheng Zheng

08-01-2025 20:42 UTC+2

Santamaria Pays to See Zheng's Queen

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Kai Cocklin

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Xiaosheng Zheng raised the button to 1,200,000 and Gerard Carbo Santamaria called in the small blind.

The flop came Q♠K♥7♥, where both checked to the 10♦ turn. Santamaria checked, Zheng bet 700,000, and Santamaria called.

A K♣ hit the turn and again Santamaria checked, then Zheng bet 1,200,000. After thinking a short time, Santamaria called.

Zheng then revealed a pair of queens with Q♥3♥, and Santamaria mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaosheng Zheng	36,000,000 7,000,000	7,000,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	27,000,000 5,000,000	5,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	11,000,000 1,700,000	1,700,000

Tags: Gerard Carbo Santamaria Xiaosheng Zheng

08-01-2025 20:48 UTC+2

Zheng Bets Big on the River

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Kai Cocklin

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Xiaosheng Zheng raised to 2,100,000 from the small blind and Gerard Carbo Santamaria called in the big blind.

On the A♥Q♠6♠ flop, Zheng continued for 1,600,000 and picked up a call from Santamaria to the A♠ turn, where both checked.

A Q♣ on the river double-paired the board and Zheng fired out 5,200,000. Santamaria went into the tank, but eventually folded, earning Zheng the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaosheng Zheng	41,000,000 5,000,000	5,000,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	23,000,000 4,000,000	4,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	10,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Tags: Gerard Carbo Santamaria Xiaosheng Zheng